Rotating disk-valve fluid pulsating apparatus



March 31, 1959 A GUARAL'Dl l 2,879,797

ROTATING DISK-VALVE FLUID PULSATING APPARATUS Filed March 28, 19235 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Malch 31 1959 A. GUARALDI 2,879,797

ROTATING DISK-VALVE FLUID PULSATING' APPARATUS Filed Maren 28, V3.955 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 QINVENTOR. l BYL/QW,

United States Patent ROTATING DISK-VALVE FLUID PULSATING APPARATUS Leonard Alexander Guaraldi, Chelmsford, Mass., as signor to Bond Research Laboratories, Inc., Somerville, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 28, 1955, Serial No. 496,967

4 Claims. (Cl. 137-624) This invention relates to improvements in uid pulsating apparatus. More particularly the invention provides improved apparatus for imparting fluid-pressure impulses for pulsating actuation of any of various responsive mechanisms or devices.

Numerous fluid pulsating devices and apparatus of the general type to which the invention relates have been proposed heretofore for producing various pulsating eects. However, so far as I am aware, none of the comparable prior proposals has been capable of efficient high speed operation.

Hence, it is among the objects of the invention to provide uid pulsating apparatus which can be operated with high eiiiciency at relatively high speeds.

Another object of the invention is to employ a well known variety of rotating annularly perforated disk in a three-way valve structure which provides a succession of pressure impulses from one side to the other side of the disk through the succession of perforations in the rotating disk thereby to effect pulsating actuation of an associated responsive mechanism or device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fiuid pulsating apparatus wherein an annularly perforated disk rotates between a pair of disk-engaging members for transmitting through its perforations a succession of pressure impulses from one to the other of said disk-engaging members with periods of interrupted transmission and release of pressure in said other member intervening between successive transmitted impulses.

It is, moreover, my purpose and object generally to improve the structure and efficiency of fluid pulsating devices and apparatus and especially such devices and apparatus designed for operation at relatively high speed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of fluid pulsating apparatus embodying features of my invention, including a diagrammatic representation of an impulse responsive mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View approximately on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view approximately on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, on a larger scale, showing the disk in a position for transmission of pressure fluid through a perforatio-n of the disk;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the disk in a position opening the disk-engaging means at the right of the disk to atmosphere, for relieving the pressure in said means resulting from the preceding transmitted irnpulse;

Fig. 5 is a view generally similar to Figs. 3 and 4 but showing the disk in a neutral position which intervenes between the Figs. 3 and 4 positions thereof;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Pig. 8 is a cross-sectional view approximately on line 8--8 of Fig. 6, on a larger scale;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but showing the disk Cal rice

2 in a position for transmitting an impulse lthrough the disk; and n Fig. l0 is a view similar to Figs. 8 andv9 but showing the disk in a neutral position which intervenes between the Figs. 8 and 9 positions thereof. y

Referring to the drawing, a power shaft 10 is rotatably mounted in the parallel frame members 12, 14 which are rigidly connected together by the frame member 16. Preferably, shaft 10 is journaled in bearings-18 and 20 respectively in the frame elements 12 ar1d 14,y

A disk 22 is fixed to shaft 10 between the frameelements 12, 14, and the disk has perforations 24 extending through it in equally spaced relation annularly all around the disk relatively close to the disk periphery, as best seen in Fig. 2.

A pair of oppositely disposed flanged elements or shoes 26, 28 may be suitably supported in frame members 12., 14 for engaging relatively small areas of opposite sides of disk 22 at one location along its circle of perforations 24. Element 26, is slidably mounted (Fig. 3) in chamber 30 of a conduit fixture 32 which is suitably fixed on frame member 12 with a spring 34, engaged between frame member 12 and the flange of element 26, constantly bias'- ing the flanged end of element 26 into contact with the side of disk 22 which is to the left in Figs. 1 and 3. Conduit means 36 is connected to an outer portion of fixture 32 and communicates with an axial passage 38 in the fixture, which passage opens into chamber 30. Flanged element 26 has a flow passage 40 therein which is lopen at one end into chamber 30 and whose other end is connected to the smaller diameter passage 41 which opens through the flanged end of element 26 in position to register with the disk .perforations 24 in succession as they travel their circular path with rotation of disk 22 in either direction.

Flanged element 28 is similarly slidably Vsupported within a chamber 42 (Fig. 4) of a conduit fixture 44 which is fixed on frame member 14 with a spring 46, engaged between frame member 14 and the flange of element 28, constantly biasing the flanged end of element 28 into contact with the side of disk 22 which is to th right in Fig. 1. Conduit means 48 is connected to an outer portion of fixture 44 and communicates with an axial passage 50 in the fixture, the said passage opening into the chamber 42. A flow passage 52 within element 28 is open at one end into chamber 42 and its other end is connected to the smaller diameter passage 53 which opens through the flanged 'end of element 28 with the enlarged mouth portion 53' in position and adapted to register with the disk perforations 24 in succession as the disk rotates. v

Any suitable packing means 54 may be provided between the adjacent walls of element 26 and of chamber 30 of fixture 32, and similar packing means 56 Amay intervene between the adjacent walls of element 28 and -of chamber 42 of fixture 44.

In Fig. l, a second pair of disk-engaging elements 26', 28 and mounting means therefor are represented at another location along the circle of disk perforations 24, arranged and adapted to function with the disk 22 exactly the same as the disk-engaging elements 26, 28. Hence, the structure and action of the elements 26, 28 and 'their appurtenances, as herein described, should be considered to apply equally to the disk-engaging elements 26', 28'; Also, when desired, still other pairs of disk-engaging elements, similar to the elements 26, 28 and 26', 28'I may be employed at still other locations along the circle vof disk perforations 24, it being understood that each pair of oppositely disposed disk-engaging elements acts entirely independently of each other pair.

Assuming that pressure fiuid is conducted to the appa ratus through the conduit means 36, and that disk 22 is being rotated at a selected speed, in either direction, the incoming tluid will enter the passage 41 in flanged element26 and will pass thro'ugh the disk intermittently as the disk perforations 24, in succession, register with the said passage 41. As suggested diagrammatically in Fig. l, the conduit means 48 may be connected to a pressure-impulse-responsive mechanism indicated generally at 60, the particular means as represented being a cylinder 62 within which a piston 64 is operable. The piston has a rod 66 which extends out through one end of the cylinder for constituting a pressure-impulse-responsive member. The piston is constantly biased by spring 68 toward one end of the cylinder, and the extension 48 of conduit means 48 opens into `the said one end of the cylinder so that transmitted pressure impulses act on piston 64 in opposition to the bias of spring 68. Referring to Fig. 3, the disk is shown in a position for transmission of pressure fluid from passage 41 through the registering disk perforation 24 and thence through the conduit means 48 and its extension 48' into cylinder 62. The transmitted pressure fluid will move the piston 64 and its rod 66 to the right with resulting compression of spring 68. Assuming rotation of disk 22 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, a relatively slight rotation of the disk from its Fig. 3 position will bring it to its neutral position of Fig. 5 in which there can be no flow through the disk in either direction between the elements 26, 28. Hence, in Fig. 5 the previously transmitted pressure fluid is trapped and maintains the piston and its rod 66 in their positions to which the previous fluid pressure impulse moved them. It is necessary, therefore, before another transmission ofv a fluid pressure impulse occurs, that the trapped pressure fluid be released in order that the responsive mechanism 60 may be restored to a condition to respond to the next pressure impulse.

According to the invention, the disk 22 and elements 26, 28 coact with a three-way valve effect as each disk perforation moves between the elements 26, 28. A vent passage 70 is provided in flanged element 26 in position to register with a disk perforation 24 after it has moved out of registration with passage 41 in element 26. Hence, following each transmitted fluid pressure impulse, the trapped pressure fluid is released through the disk into the vent passage 70 before the next succeeding disk perforation comes into registration with passage 41 in element 26. When the pressure fluid is a liquid, the vent 70 may be connected to any suitable drain conduit (not shown).

It is an important feature of my invention that the disclosed three way valve effect which is attained in con junction with a rotating annularly perforated disk permits high speed operation of my pulsating apparatus with eiliciency far exceeding that of any prior comparable apparatus or device of which I am aware.

. Figs. 6-10 illustrate a modification of the invention which employs the same principle and accomplishes the same result as the apparatus of Figs. l-5, but wherein the venting of trapped pressure fluid is through the periphery of the rotating disk. In this embodiment, the disk 72 may be mounted on the shaft 10 in the place of the previously described disk 22 of Figs. 1-5, and has perforations or holes 74 extending through it and distributed in equally spaced relation in a circle around the axis of the disk. However, centrally located between successive perforations 74, all around the said circle, vent passages 76 extend only part of the way through the disk, at the right hand side thereof as viewed in Figs. 7-1 0, and each vent 76 turns abruptly within the disk and extends at 76 out through the periphery of the disk.

jA pair of oppositely disposed ilanged disk-engaging elements 78, 80, generally similar to the elements 26, 28

of the Figs. 1-5 embodiment, are located for the perforations 74 and vent passages 76 tou pass between them as disk .72 rotates. The element 78 may be mounted in a 4 conduit fixture 32, and element may be mounted in a conduit fixture 44, as in the Figs. 1-5 embodiment. However, element 78 has a straight axial passage 79 opening through its flanged end, and element 80 has a straight passage 81 opening through its flanged end with no enlarged mouth portion.

Referring to Fig. 8, the disk 72 is shown in position for venting the apparatus to atmosphere, the passage 81 being in register with a vent passage 76 of the disk and the opposite vpassage 79 of element 78 being closed by the disk. Fig. 10 shows the disk moved to a neutral position in which it closes both of the passages 79 and 81 of elements 78, 80. Fig. 9 shows the disk in a position for passage of pressure fluid through one of the perforations 74. It will be apparent that the disk 72 coacts with the flanged elements 78, 80 to produce a three-way valve effect in connection with each pressure fluid induced actuation of a responsive mechanism, such as the piston rod element 66 represented in Fig. l.

lObviously two or more pairs of the anged elements 78, 80 may be located at different locations along the circle of perforations and vent passages of the disk 72, as with the earlier described comparable disk 22, with each pair connected for pulsating actuation of a separate responsive mechanism or device.

While the apparatus of the invention has been described in this application for transmitting pressure fluid impulses to responsive mechanism, it should be understood that the actuating impulses may, if desired, be produced by suction in which case a suction or vacuum means would be connected to the conduit fixture 32, to produce pulsating suction effect on the piston 64 in cylinder 62, the spring 68 then being a tension spring constantly biasing the piston toward the right hand end of the cylinder 62 in Fig. l. l

Various changes may be made in details of the disclosed invention without departing from the inventivev concept and it is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a fluid pulsating apparatus, a disk having per-` forations therein equally spaced apart in a circle around the axis of the disk, means supporting the disk for rotation about its axis, a first plurality of shoe elements' disposed on opposite sides of the disk axis, each having relatively small area and constantly biased into engagement with a relatively small part of the total area of one side of the disk at predetermined locations in said circle of perforations, a second plurality of shoe elements each having relatively small area and constantly biased into engagement with a relatively small part of the total area of the other side of the disk in oppositely disposed relation to the first mentioned elements, each said element having a llow passage therein opening through its diskengaging portion in position to register with said disk perforations in intermittent succession in response to rotation of the disk, fluid-flow inducing means connected to said llow passage in each of the disk-engaging elements of said first plurality of elements whereby a predetermined fluid pressure condition is created within each of the disk-engaging elements of said second plurality ofA elements in response to each registration of a disk perforation simultaneously with said flow passages in diskengaging elements at opposite sides of said disk, and venting conduit means for relieving said created pressure condition within each of the disk-engaging elementsof j said second plurality of elements prior to a Said simul-4 taneous registration of the next succeeding disk perforation with said flow passages in oppositely disposed elements of said first and second pluralities of elements.

2. Fluid pulsating apparatus, comprising a rotatable disk having perforations extending through it and equally spaced in a circle around the axis of the disk, a rst pair of relatively fixed oppositely disposed shoe elements biased into engagement with relatively small parts of the total areas of opposite sides of the disk at a predetermined location in said circle of disk perforations, a second pair of relatively xed oppositely disposed shoe elements biased into engagement with relatively small parts of the total areas of opposite sides of the disk at a location in said circle of disk perforations substantially spaced from said first pair, means defining a ow passage in each of said elements, each said ow passage opening through the disk-engaging portion of the element in which it extends in position to register with said disk perforation in succession in response to rotation of the disk, pressure-responsive means connected to the ow passage in one of said elements of each of said pairs of elements, means for inducing pressure ow of fluid connected to the ow passage in each of the other elements of said rst and second pairs of elements whereby a uid pressure impulse is transmitted to each said pressure-responsive means each time that a disk perforation comes into sirnultaneous registration with said ow passages in said oppositely disposed elements of each of said pairs of elements, and venting conduit means for relieving, through said disk, the fluid pressure at each of said pressure responsive means following each said transmitted fluid pressure impulse and prior to transmission of a next succeeding tuid pressure impulse.

3. Fluid pulsating apparatus, comprising a rotatable disk having perforations extending through it and equally spaced in a circle around the axis of the disk, said disk also having vent passages opening into one side of the disk and arranged in the said circle in equally spaced rela tion between the said perforations, a trst pair of relatively fixed oppositely disposed shoe elements biased into engagement with relatively small parts of the total areas of opposite sides of the disk at a predetermined location in said circle of disk perforations and vent passages, a second pair of relatively fixed oppositely disposed shoe elements biased into engagement with relatively small parts of the total areas of opposite sides of the disk at a location in said circle of disk perforations and vent passages substantially spaced from said lirst pair, means dening a ilow passage in each of said elements, each said ow passage opening through the disk-engaging portion of the element in which it extends, said ow passages of the two said elements of each said pair of elements being arranged for simultaneous registration with said disk perforations in succession in response to rotation of said disk, and the said flow passage in one of said elements of each said pair of elements being arranged and adapted to register also with said vent passages in succession, whereby it registers alternately with said disk perforations and said disk vent passages, separate pressure-responsive means connected to the ilow passage in the element of each said pair of elements whose flow passage registers alternately with the disk perforations and disk vent passages, means for inducing pressure ow of iluid connected to the ow passage in the other of said elements of each said pair of elements whereby a fluid pressure impulse is transmitted to each said pressure-responsive means each time that a disk perforation comes into simultaneous registration with said ow passages in said oppositely disposed elements of each said pair of elements, a said disk vent passage coming into registration with said flow passage which is connected to either of the said pressure-responsive means following each said transmitted uid pressure impulse thereby to relieve the uid pressure at said pressure-responsive means prior to transmission of a next succeeding fluid pressure impulse.

4. In a uid pulsating apparatus, a disk having perforations therein equally spaced apart in a circle around the axis of the disk, means supporting the disk for rotation about its axis, a irst plurality of relatively small area shoe elements constantly biased into engagement with relatively small parts of the total area of one side of the disk at substantially spaced locations in said circle of perforations, a second plurality of relatively small area shoe elements constantly biased into engagement with relatively small parts of the total area of the other side of the disk in oppositely disposed relation to the elements of said rst plurality of elements, each said element having a ow passage therein opening through its disk-engaging portion in position to register with said disk perforations in ntermittent succession in response to rotation of the disk, uid-ow inducing means connected to said flow passage in each disk-engaging element of said first plurality of elements whereby a predetermined huid pressure condition is created within each disk-engaging element of said second plurality of elements in response to each registration of a disk perforation simultaneously with said ilow passages in said oppositely disposed elements of said irst and second pluralities of elements, means providing an escape passage in each element of said first plurality of elements and open through the disk-engaging portion of each said element of the said lrst plurality of elements at a location along the circular path of said disk perforations somewhat in advance of said ow passage in each element of said tirst plurality of elements, the mouth of said ow passage in each element of said second plurality of elements being shaped to register with a disk perforation which is in registration with a said escape passage thereby to relieve each said created pressure condition within elements of said second plurality of elements following each said registration of a disk perforation simultaneously with said ow passages in oppositely disposed elements of said tirst and second pluralities of elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,519,670 Danstrup Dec. 16, 1924 1,607,827 Herrmann Nov. 23, 1926 1,682,624 North Aug. 28, 1928 2,079,041 Ryan Mar. 4, 1937 2,125,513 Martin Aug. 2, 1938 2,524,234 Schenk Oct. 3, 1950 2,688,981 Greer Sept. 14, 1954 2,773,482 Dickey Dec. 11, 1956 2,852,040 Dearof Sept. 16, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 575,917 Great Britain 1946 683,694 Great Britain 1952 

